UPPER WEST SIDE — Move over Dumpster divers, there's a cleaner, easier way to salvage uneaten meals, according to a New York City-based nonprofit that's recruited volunteers to help rescue hundreds of pounds of neighborhood food each month.
Every week, at least three to four "lead rescuers" and a cohort of half a dozen volunteers head to two Upper West Side restaurants to pick up leftover food as part of a campaign to end food waste and address food insecurity led by the organization Rescuing Leftover Cuisine (RLC).
Their haul can weigh in anywhere from 30 to 150 pounds, depending on the week, said RLC Community Outreach Analyst Monica Hunasikatti.
Volunteers swing by the two restaurants, local affordable spots that have chosen to remain anonymous, almost nightly, said Hunasikatti.
They then walk what's donated over to The Riverside Church and Church of the Holy Trinity and the churches pass out the food to the homeless the next morning.
The most commonly donated food items are pastries and bagels, among other types of food, said Hunasikatti.
Since its founding in 2013 by social impact entrepreneur Robert Lee, RLC has expanded into 12 cities across the country.
In addition to growing nationally, the organization is also looking to do more in the communities where it already has a foothold, including the Upper West Side, said Hunasikatti.
They're encouraging Upper West Siders to sign up to volunteer here.
The Riverside Church and the Church of the Holy Trinity did not immediately return request for comment.
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